


Aftermath

by LostCauses (Anteros)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Canon Universe, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Smut, post Uprising Arc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-12-23 04:18:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11981982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anteros/pseuds/LostCauses
Summary: Eventually the talking stops, the military commanders and squad leaders leave, and then it’s just Levi and Erwin, alone  together for the first time in...how long?  It could be days or weeks or months. So much has happened that Levi’s lost track of time. All that mattered was surviving.  And somehow they have.  Somehow, against all the odds, they are both still alive.Levi and Erwin re-unite after the Uprising.





	Aftermath

It takes three full days of briefings before they are able to put the pieces together and have a complete picture of the events that unfolded on all the different battle fronts; in Mitras, at the Central Military Police base, the Reiss chapel, the outer wall in Orvud district. And then there are plans to discuss, Historia’s ascension to the throne, where they go from here, how to act on the new intelligence they have gained; that takes another two days. But eventually the talking stops, the other military commanders and squad leaders leave, and Hanji shuts the door behind them, the last to leave as always. And then it’s just Levi and Erwin, alone in a grand suite of rooms commandeered for military purposes in a convenient wing of the palace.

It’s the first time they’ve been alone together for… how long? It could be days or weeks or months. So much has happened that Levi’s lost track of time, it ceased to mean anything the moment they parted ways. All that mattered was surviving. And somehow they have. Somehow, against all the odds, they are both still alive. 

Erwin had listened to Levi’s report on the ambushes by Kenny’s men, the collapse of the cavern, expression impassive, betraying not a flicker of emotion, though his knuckles were white where he gripped the arm of the chair. Erwin’s briefing on his detention by the Military Police and subsequent court martial was terse and succinct, but one look at the vicious bruises discolouring his face told them all that his report omitted more that it revealed. Levi didn’t need to listen to know what he’d been through; he had seen the scaffold with his own eyes. It was still standing in the main plaza when they rode through Mitras on their way to the capitol. Levi had reined his horse to a stop, dismounted, and looked up at the gallows. Cold anger and bitter fear welling up in his chest, threatening to choke him as he threw his guts up on the flagstones. 

But Erwin had escaped the noose and now here he is, standing in front of Levi with a strangely apologetic look on his face, as if he is guilty for all he has suffered. And Levi wants nothing more than wrap his arms around him, to touch every inch of him, to convince himself that Erwin is real and alive and still breathing. But something holds him back; the horror of what they have witnessed, what they have been through, hangs between them. Instead he remains seated, gazing wearily at the floor, before looking up with an expression that’s anger and relief and disbelief all in one. 

“Shit Erwin, what the _fuck_ were you thinking? What kind of plan was that? Have you got a death wish or something? What if Pixis hadn’t….What it they’d fucking hanged you?”

Levi’s hands are shaking, his voice catching in his throat. He wants to get up and pace the floor but he doesn’t know if his legs will hold him. 

Erwin simply shrugs his shoulders and gestures apologetically with his hand. 

“It was a gamble,” he explains calmly, “but it paid off. That’s all that matters.” 

“A gamble? A fucking gamble?!” Levi can hear his voice rising but he can’t seem to stop it. “Listen to yourself Erwin! I saw the fucking scaffold. They were going to _hang_ you!” 

“There was always a risk…” Erwin admits in that maddeningly reasonable tone.

“And what if they had?” Levi spits. “What would have happened then?” _What would have happened to me_ , he wants to add. “Everything we fought for would have gone to shit. Dammit Erwin nothing is worth that.”

“But it didn’t happen, and it was worth it.” Erwin closes the gap between them and kneels in front of Levi, taking one of his hands in his own. “It didn’t happen, the corrupt old order is gone, we’ve got Eren back, and Historia will be on the throne in a matter of days. We can win this. We can find the truth. I know we can.”

Levi’s hands are still shaking and somehow he can’t bring himself to lift his head and look Erwin in the face.

“And I’m still here Levi, and you’re still here.” 

And that’s when Levi looks, that’s when he sees the same fear and the relief in Erwin’s eyes. He lifts one hand and gently brushes his fingertips over the bruises and abrasions discolouring Erwin’s face.

“Fuck Erwin, what did they do to you?” he murmurs, voice thick and choking. “What did they do? Look at you. Have you seen your face? Who did this? I’ll fucking kill them.” 

“I don’t know who they were, and it doesn’t matter anyway. All that matters is that I’m here and you’re here.” 

Levi swallows, silent.

“Sounds like you had some pretty close calls yourself,” Erwin continues quietly, running his thumb lightly over the scarred knuckles of Levi’s hand. “Are you all right?”

“No I’m not all right,” Levi spits, pulling his hand away, and he has to blink rapidly to stop his vision blurring. “How the fuck can I be all right with all this shit going on? Fucking Kenny and Reiss and … and you Erwin, fucking you. You can’t keep doing this to yourself.” And he can’t help the words escaping though they’re barely a whisper. “You can’t keep doing this to me.” 

Erwin’s hand comes up to his face, tilting his chin up until he’s looking him in the eye. 

“Stay with me Levi. Stay with me tonight. Please.” 

Levi laughs, short and bitter. 

“Here? In the fucking palace? With the whole place crawling with brass and Military Police?”

“Yes, Levi, here. No one will disturb us and even if they did, do you think I’d care? After all we’ve been through? I thought I’d never…” Erwin stops suddenly, takes a breath. “Please Levi, just stay with me.”

Levi sighs and shakes his head. 

“You’re fucking crazy.”

But he has no intention of leaving, no intention of letting Erwin out of his sight ever again for as long as he can help it. 

Erwin smiles, slow and sheepish and Levi swears his heart will burst because he thought he’d never see that smile again. 

“You’re not safe to be left alone old man,” he grumbles in an effort to distract himself from the fierce heat prickling behind his eyes, threatening to spill over. 

“I’m sorry,” Erwin concedes, lopsided grin betraying his contrition. “I’ll try not to overthrow the government again.” 

“Tch.”

Erwin reaches out, cups Levi’s face, brushing his thumb over his cheek before running his hand down over his shoulder. Levi winces, the slightest flinch, as Erwin’s hand passes over the stitches in his upper arm.

“Levi? You’re hurt, what happened?”

“It’s nothing, I’m fine.”

“That didn’t look like fine. Let me see.”

And before Levi can swat him away, Erwin is working at the buttons of his shirt with surprising dexterity considering the bruises that still discolour his hand. He makes short work of the task, carefully easing Levi’s shirt down over his shoulder. The wound is starting to heal but the edges are angry and swollen, neat stitches pulling at puckered flesh. Erwin peers at it closely before lifting his hand and touching his fingers to the outer edges of the wound. 

“What happened?” His voice is low and tight.

“Don’t know. Happened when Kenny caught up with me on the roof.”

“Who stitched it?” 

“Sasha.”

“Sasha?”

“Braus. 104th. One of my new squad.” 

New squad. Is still feels like a betrayal, but they did well. All of them. They did better than he could ever have hoped. He owes his life to them. And they to him. 

“She did a good job,” Erwin concedes. He’s still peering at the wound, probing gently around it. “I want you to let one of the medics look at that tomorrow though.”

“It’s fine.”

“That’s an order Levi. We’ve come this far, I don’t want you dying of an infection. Not now, not ever.” 

Levi clicks his tongue in annoyance and shrugs his shoulder away from Erwin’s hand.

“It’s not me that needs the medics, it’s you.”

“I’ve already been checked over, by the court physician no less.” 

“Well the court physician doesn’t know shit, I can tell by the way you’re moving that you’re still fucked. Let me see.”

Levi reaches out but Erwin’s on his feet, suddenly stepping back.

“That…might not be a good idea.”

“Why? Why not?” Levi’s eyes narrow, brow pinching in concern.

“I’m fine, just bruised, it looks worse than it is.”

“You’re going to have to let me see sooner or later. You asked me to stay, I’m not sleeping with you with your fucking clothes on.”

“No, I suppose not,” Erwin laughs ruefully.

Levi allows Erwin to pull him to his feet and lead him through the gilded double doors to an adjoining room with an ornate canopied bed. Erwin draws the heavy drapes, lights the lamp, and sits down on the edge of the bed. Levi hesitates by the door, wanting and not wanting.

“Come in Levi, no one will disturb us.”

Levi steps forward and if Erwin notices that his hands are shaking, he doesn’t comment, and for that Levi is grateful. He removes Erwin’s bolo tie, slipping it over his head and setting it aside, before starting on the buttons of his shirt. As each button opens, his jaw clenches tighter and tighter, and it’s only Erwin’s hand on his hip, Erwin’s calm patient gaze, that prevent the howl of pain and anger ripping free from his throat. 

It’s worse than he imagined, and he imagined the worst. Erwin’s torso is a mass of purpling bruises, fading to sickening yellow, shot through with scabs and lesions. Raw abrasions wind around his wrist, and ugly welts mar his shoulders.

“Erwin…” Levi starts, but what can he say? What can he say in the face of this? 

“Hush Levi,” Erwin murmurs, fingers pressing into his hip, “it’s doesn’t matter, I’m fine, it looks worse than it is.” 

“Shut up,” Levi chokes out, “how can you…”

There are no words that can express his anger, his horror and regret. He would gladly have taken those bruises, taken every single blow and blade, to prevent Erwin suffering. But he couldn’t. He wasn’t there. All he can do now is bear witness. 

Levi presses his mouth gently to a scabbed cut on Erwin’s shoulder, the texture rough and unfamiliar against his lips. He works his way down paying homage to every bruise and abrasion, not a single inch of skin goes un-kissed, un-worshipped. When he reaches the dark ugly bruises discolouring Erwin’s abdomen he wants to close his eyes but he stubbornly keeps them open because if Erwin endured this, chained and alone in the darkness, then this is the very least thing he can do. 

When he reaches Erwin’s waist, he sinks to his knees, fingers tugging at the buckle of his belt, and when Erwin lifts his hips and lowers his hand to help push his trousers down over his thighs Levi catches his wrist and kisses each swollen knuckle, each bruised fingernail, grateful beyond measure to count all five with his lips. 

Levi kisses downwards, pausing here or there to linger over a graze, a fading bruise, and all the time Erwin cradles the back of his head in his hand, fingers stroking lightly through his hair. 

The blurred imprint of a boot is still clearly visible on Erwin’s right thigh and Levi has to stop and swallow down the bile, take a moment just to breath. Erwin’s hand stills in his hair.

“Levi? Are you all right?”

He breathes again then presses his lips firmly to the bruise and continues on his way.

Erwin’s cock lies warm and heavy against his thigh and Levi presses his cheek against it, breathes him in, says a silent prayer of thanks that here at least he is unmarked. Levi’s eyes slide shut as he takes Erwin in his mouth, revelling in the pulse of blood as he swells against his tongue. Erwin is here, warm and alive and here. He laps at Erwin’s cock with sure steady strokes until he’s hot and hard and his hand is tugging painfully at Levi hair, then he struggles out of his boots and trousers and climbs onto the bed. 

They take is slowly, carefully, at first, savouring every touch, every kiss. But by the time Erwin has stretched Levi open with patient fingers he’s cursing and whining and fuck Erwin get on with it. And when he moans long and low as Erwin slides into him, it’s like a dam breaking. All the desperation and desire breaks loose obliterating everything until there’s no place left for fear or pain. The intense aching heat spreads between them until Erwin drives Levi over the edge and they come together, clinging to each other like a lifeline. 

Afterwards they lie still, and if Levi’s face is unaccountably wet, if Erwin holds on to him a little too tightly, for a little too long, neither of them mentions it.

The lamp is burning low when Levi stirs and shivers against Erwin’s side. 

“All right Levi? Are you cold?” 

Levi shakes his head, “I’m fine. Just…”

 _Just hold me_ he wants to say, but the words stick in his throat. _Just hold me and never let go._

He doesn’t need to speak, doesn’t need to say the words, Erwin hears him, draws him close and holds him. 

“I’m here Levi, I’m here.”


End file.
